Method for Transmitting Channel Quality Report in a Discontinuous Transmission Scheme, Primary and Secondary Stations Therefor

1. A method for transmitting channel quality reports periodically from a secondary station to a primary station, wherein transmission of a control channel is carried out discontinuously with a predetermined periodic transmission phase, said method comprising: (a) scheduling transmission of a transmission sequence of channel quality reports of at least a first type and a second type according to a predetermined pattern, (b) estimating a number of channel quality reports of the second type scheduled during transmission phases of a predetermined time window, (c) amending the transmission sequence by replacing at least one channel quality report scheduled to be of the first type with a channel quality report of the second type if the number of second type channel quality reports scheduled during the transmission phases of the predetermined time window is below a predetermined threshold, (d) transmitting the amended sequence to the primary station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in step (c) the at least one replaced first type channel quality report was scheduled during at least one predetermined periodic transmission phase of the predetermined time window.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one predetermined periodic transmission phases are last transmission phases of the predetermined time window.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one replaced first type channel quality report was scheduled during a predetermined periodic transmission phase after the predetermined time window.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one predetermined periodic transmission phases are first transmission phases after the predetermined time window.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold is one.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method only applies when the period of the discontinuous transmission is longer than or equal to the period of the scheduled transmission sequence of channel quality reports.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of the predetermined time window is a multiple of the period of the discontinuous transmission.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of the predetermined time window is a multiple of the period of the scheduled transmission sequence of channel quality reports.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the types of channel quality report indicates a value for two data streams.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the types of channel quality indicator indicates a value of channel quality for one stream.

12. A primary station comprising: receiving means for receiving periodic channel quality reports transmitted by a secondary station, wherein reception of a control channel is carried out discontinuously with a predetermined periodic reception phase, means for scheduling reception of a reception sequence of channel quality reports of at least a first type and a second type according to a predetermined pattern, means for estimating a number of channel quality reports of the second type scheduled during reception phases of a predetermined time window, means for amending the reception sequence by replacing at least one channel quality report scheduled to be of the first type with a channel quality report of the second type if the number of second type channel quality reports scheduled during the reception phases of the predetermined time window is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the receiving means are arranged to receive a sequence transmitted by the secondary station similar to the amended sequence.

13. A secondary station comprising: means for transmitting channel quality reports periodically to a primary station, wherein transmission of a control channel is carried out discontinuously with a predetermined periodic transmission phase, means for scheduling transmission of a transmission sequence of channel quality reports of at least a first type and a second type according to a predetermined pattern, means for estimating the number of channel quality reports of the second type scheduled during the transmission phases of a predetermined time window, means for amending the transmission sequence by replacing at least one channel quality report scheduled to be of the first type with a channel quality report of the second type if the number of second type channel quality reports scheduled during the transmission phases of the predetermined time window is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the transmitting means are arranged to transmit the amended sequence to the primary station.

14. A method for receiving channel quality reports periodically from a secondary station to a primary station, wherein reception of a control channel is carried out discontinuously with a predetermined periodic reception phase, the method comprising (a) scheduling reception of a reception sequence of channel quality reports of at least a first type and a second type according to a predetermined pattern, (b) estimating a number of channel quality reports of the second type scheduled during reception phases of a predetermined time window, (c) amending the reception sequence by replacing at least one channel quality report scheduled to be of the first type with a channel quality report of the second type if the number of second type channel quality reports scheduled during the reception phases of the predetermined time window is below a predetermined threshold, (d) decoding a signal received from the secondary station on the basis of the amended sequence.

15. A primary station comprising: a receiver configured to receive periodic channel quality reports transmitted by a secondary station, wherein reception of a control channel is carried out discontinuously with a predetermined periodic reception phase, a processor communicating with the receiver and programmed to perform the acts of: scheduling reception of a reception sequence of channel quality reports of at least a first type and a second type according to a predetermined pattern, estimating a number of channel quality reports of the second type scheduled during reception phases of a predetermined time window, amending the reception sequence by replacing at least one channel quality report scheduled to be of the first type with a channel quality report of the second type if the number of second type channel quality reports scheduled during the reception phases of the predetermined time window is below a predetermined threshold, a transmitter communicating with the processor and configured to receive information at least from secondary stations, and wherein the receiver is arranged to receive a sequence transmitted by the secondary station similar to the amended sequence.

16. A secondary station comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit channel quality reports periodically to a primary station, wherein transmission of a control channel is carried out discontinuously with a predetermined periodic transmission phase, a processor communicating with the transmitter and programmed to perform the acts of: scheduling transmission of a transmission sequence of channel quality reports of at least a first type and a second type according to a predetermined pattern, estimating the number of channel quality reports of the second type scheduled during the transmission phases of a predetermined time window, amending the transmission sequence by replacing at least one channel quality report scheduled to be of the first type with a channel quality report of the second type if the number of second type channel quality reports scheduled during the transmission phases of the predetermined time window is below a predetermined threshold, a receiver communicating with the processor and configured to receive information at least from primary stations, and wherein the transmitter is arranged to transmit the amended sequence to the primary station.